School of Computer Science

PhD studentships available for 2025 entry

The School of Computer Science at the University of St Andrews is offering a number of PhD scholarships for 3.5 years of study in our doctoral research programme. UK, EU and International students are all eligible for fully-funded scholarships consisting of tuition and a stipend. These awards are part-funded through the University of St Andrews’ ‘handsel’ scheme for tuition waivers.

The School of Computer Science is a centre of excellence for computer science teaching and research, with staff and students from Scotland and all parts of the world. It is a member of the Scottish Informatics and Computer Science Alliance (SICSA).

Value of Award

  • Tuition scholarships cover PhD fees irrespective of country of origin.
  • Stipends are valued at £19,795 per annum (or the standard UKRI stipend, if it is higher).

Eligibility Criteria

We are looking for highly motivated research students willing to be part of a diverse and supportive research community. Applicants must hold a good Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, or a related area appropriate for their proposed topic of study.

International applications are welcome. We especially encourage female applicants and underrepresented minorities to apply. The School of Computer Science was awarded the Athena SWAN Silver award for its sustained progression in advancing equality and representation, and we welcome applications from those suitably qualified from all genders, all races, ethnicities and nationalities, LGBT+, all or no religion, all social class backgrounds, and all family structures to apply for our postgraduate research programmes.

Application Deadline

All applications received before 1st February 2025 will be considered for these scholarships.

How to Apply

Any PhD application received by the deadline will be automatically considered for these scholarships. There is no need for a separate application.

The School’s main research themes are Artificial Intelligence, Health Informatics, Human-Computer Interaction, Programming Languages, and Systems. You can find further details at https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/computer-science/research/themes/. In addition, we have cross-cutting research groups in Complex and Adaptive Systems, Computer Vision, Constraints, Data Science, MedTech, Research Software, and Responsible Computing. Applicants with interests in any of these areas are encouraged to develop a relevant research proposal and apply.

The best way to obtain a place and a scholarship is to make a robust PhD application. You are strongly encouraged to read the application guidance written on our webpages. Note that this guidance asks you to approach supervisors before formal submission to discuss your project ideas with them. Historically, applications with no named supervisor have been much less likely to result in an offer. We provide a list of existing faculty, areas of research and some potential project ideas. All supervisors listed on this page may be contacted directly to discuss possible projects. You can define your own project or discuss a project currently on offer.

Full application instructions can be found at https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/computer-science/prospective/pgr/how-to-apply/. Enquiries and questions may be directed to pg-admin-cs@st-andrews.ac.uk.

2024-2025 CS-EDI Poster Competition

The school EDI committee would like to run an EDI-themed poster competition during the academic year 2024-2025. The goal is to enhance EDI awareness and foster conversations around EDI topics. Posters aim to voice what really matters to you, and a means to celebrate the value of our diverse background and experiences. The selected posters will be displayed on the school walls and screens.

We welcome entries from all students in Computer Science. Participants can be teams or individuals. Prizes will be awarded to the winning teams. If you want to register interest to the competition or you have any questions, please contact edi-cs@st-andrews.ac.uk. More details can be found https://tinyurl.com/yx63a6sa. The deadline for expressing interest is 11 Oct 2024. We are looking forward to hearing from you.

Week 1 Social Events

The following social events are being held in the School this week in the Jack Cole coffee area:-

  • Monday 16 September – 17:00 – 18:00 – MSc and MSci welcome reception (TODAY)
  • Wednesday 18 September – 16:00 – 17:00 – Honours (Junior & Senior) welcome reception
  • Friday 20 September – 17:00 – 18:00 – Sub-honours (students on first and second years of CS programmes) social event

Drinks 🍷 and snacks 🍰 available at all events, so please come along and join us!

STACS Welcome BBQ 🍔

If you are a new Undergraduate or Postgraduate Taught student to the School of Computer Science, you are invited to the STACS Welcome BBQ outside the Jack Cole Coffee Area on Friday 13th September 5.30pm-7.30pm.

The usual BBQ favourites will be available from the grill and refreshments will be provided. We look forward to seeing you there!

WICS Coffee Break is back!

Women in Computer Science is back and are excited to invite you to the first coffee break of the academic year. This is a perfect opportunity for incoming students and returning students to meet each other and academic staff in the School.

Event Details:

  • Date: Wednesday 11th September
  • Time: 14:00-15:00
  • Where: Jack Cole Coffee Area

Chat, coffee and snacks available!

Orientation 2024

We look forward to welcoming all our students to the School for the new academic year.

Details of the events for staff and students scheduled for the week commencing 9th September are in the Computer Science Orientation Programme.

More information on the University Orientation and Induction Events provides students with an overview of the University, and important dates to mark in your calendar.